My Slide
by kaori-kun
Summary: This is the slide I used to sit on everyday, when no one wanted to play with me. Even though it was my own little castle, I can still share the sunset with the girl that I never loved. Sequel to IT'LL ALL WORK OUT
1. My Childhood

This is the sequel to my previous fic, It'll All Work Out. Hopefully people will enjoy this fic as much as the other.

Also - the first chapter is the only chapter narrarated by Naruto. Here, he reminisces about his childhood.

This is not a oneshot!

* * *

When I was little, the slide was my favorite place in the world. 

I'd sometimes amuse myself by clambering up the wrong end, eventually tumbling back into the sandbox. But most days I just sat there, gazing up into the sky. That was my second favorite place in the world.

It's not like I could flap my arms and fly up into the clouds. I _wished _I could. But I imagined that I could open a door to the blueness and thrust myself in. There I would idly spend my days, adrift in seas of lollipops and rich caramels. And, of course, I would have _plenty _of friends.

Sometimes, as I was deep in the middle of my childish reveries, I would see a kid or two walking by. I scooted over to the edge of the slide, just enough space for a kid my size. I waved. I smiled encouragingly.

The kid(s) walked past. I frowned. Maybe it wasn't enough space?

Over time, I learned that, no, it wasn't a lack of space. They simply ignored me.

I had no mama to ask, why don't they like me?

I had no papa to assure me that he'd always protect me.

But it wasn't always like that. There were two months – two months exactly – where I did not spend my days on the slide in isolation.

I christened them my "Cherry Blossom Days".

And they were, truly, cherry blossom days. Sakura trees were never as beautiful as they were that year. As they bloomed one frigid morning, I eagerly climbed up to my favorite spot, brushed away a myriad of rosy petals, and sat there to bask in the scenery.

"You aren't looking into the sky anymore." A little voice tore my eyes from the trees. There, for the first time, I saw a girl squatting next to the slide. The first thing I thought was, _whoa, her eyes are pretty. _I could only stare at them, speechless.

"You could say something now." She giggled, and I blushed.

"S-s-sorry," I stammered, and, for the first time in a very long time, I offered a seat.

What surprised me was that she climbed up without hesitation. _Up the wrong end, too. _Boy, was she good.

"So. Why do you come up here?" She immediately tossed out a question. Taken aback, I had to think for several moments before I mumbled an answer.

"I don't know."

"Well, you must like it if you always come here. Don't you like it?"

"I-I guess."

"Oh, come on! You really think it's fun staying up here everyday? There are, like, so many places to be!" She spread out her petite little arms, as if to reveal the whole world to me. And, in her enthusiastic gesture, I really imagined the places I never had seen. A tower of sweets, perhaps. Or maybe a mountain of ohagi. I liked that idea.

But I refused this girl's tugs as she tried to peel me off my fortress of reveries. I was the emperor, I was the king. I was alone.

"Gosh, you're persistent." She finally stopped. I didn't know what persistent meant, but I wasn't about to ask.

"I don't want to go," I said helplessly.

"Why?" she pressed.

"People are going to laugh at me."

"That's nonsense. Why would people laugh at you?"

"I don't know. They ignore me. They call me names." My voice trembled.

The girl noticed. "Oh." She was suddenly quiet.

_I've ruined it. _She wasn't going to play with me anymore. _I had a chance, and I ruined it._

I made a desperate attempt to reel her back in. "I'm Naruto," I whispered.

She perked up. "I'm Sakura. Just like the cherry blossoms, right?" She giggled.

At the end of the day, I had found out that Sakura talked – not just talked, but went on and on and on. _She talks too much. _But I liked it.

So it went on like this, and she became my very best friend. I began to notice that I was more confident, and I even plucked up the courage to shout once in public. So we continued talking, and the cherry blossoms continued to fall on my newly-shared, favorite place in the whole world.

* * *

One day, Sakura ran up the slide breathlessly. 

"What's the matter, Sakura-chan?"

She held up her hand. "One second," she wheezed, catching her breath. "Okay. I just heard that the old theater on Fifth Avenue was torn down. They built a new one now!"

Sakura and I conversed quietly, and we both ended up agreeing to pool our money – my savings and Sakura's weekly allowance - for tickets.

We walked the whole three miles up to the theater, a feat to be proud of for two seven-year-olds. Covered with sweat, we spread a quilt on a patch of grass, a front-and-center view of the stage.

"I'm tired," I complained loudly.

"Shh!!" A voice hissed loudly from behind us. Sakura giggled, as usual.

"I'm tired, too, Naruto." She pulled two steaming bowls from her bag. "But we should eat."

I mentally kicked myself – repeatedly – for my stupidity. Of course, we were going to stay there for the night! Who wouldn't bring food?!?

"Ohh…I'm such a baka for forgetting!" I groaned.

"Don't worry about it! I forgot to tell you that we were supposed to eat, it's my fault." Sakura handed me a pair of chopsticks. "Besides, we don't wanna starve, do we?"

I gratefully broke open the chopsticks. However, I stared into his bowl, confused. "What's this?"

"Ramen. Haven't you had that before?"

I silently picked at the grass.

"Oh." Sakura knew that response. "Well, it's really good. My mom bought it at Ichiraku's." Sakura dunked my chopsticks into the bowl and pulled out a steaming mass of fresh noodles. As I began to refuse, Sakura stuffed the noodles into my mouth.

I choked, hacking up bits of vegetables and noodles. But then I paused. Slowly, I let the noodles slide down his throat.

"Want more?" Sakura beamed.

I nodded, and Sakura began feeding me like a child. It was embarrassing to do that in public, but I didn't stop her. I never knew what having a mother was like. If she were the type to wipe my mouth as juice dribbled from chin or to fawn over me the way Sakura did, then I sure as hell would do _anything_ to get one.

As soon as Sakura picked out every bit of noodle in the bowl, the play began.

A female dancer clothed entirely in red stepped into the single spotlight. The audience fell silent. A sudden drumbeat was the cue for the dancer, and she began to twirl to the sound of native instruments. Her crimson sleeves flashed in the air, once, twice, and then rode up her arm to expose her pale, snowy skin. The crowd was stunned by her elegance.

Then she did something that I never forgot. Her red apparel fell to the ground, and a white yukata was revealed underneath it. Long silk ribbons suddenly cascaded to the ground, and the woman gracefully extended her arms out. The drumbeats ceased.

"Something's going to happen," Sakura whispered to me.

And she was right. In a barrage of sound, the drums sounded again and the dancer lashed her legs out, weaving across the jungle of red silk, bending and whirling like a current in undulating water. Sakura gasped and clung onto my t-shirt.

"Wow, isn't that amazing, Naruto?"

Her eyes shone with admiration as a shower of cherry blossom petals ended the dance. _I wish Sakura could think of me that way, too. The amazing Naruto.  
_

I contemplated this as we walked back home. Could I really do such a thing? Maybe I would break a bone or two in my wrist, if I was lucky enough.

"Ehh…I can't do this!" I mumbled, frustrated.

"Hmm?" Sakura was apparently deep in thought as well.

"Oh, nothing…by the way, Sakura…" I scratched my head sheepishly. "Could you get some more of that stuff tomorrow?"

"Stuff? Oh – ramen. Right. I'll make sure to buy it!"

I walked her home, and made sure to wish her good-night. And, I reasoned, it might the last that I would ever say.

Without making a commotion, I slipped into the playground. Taking a deep breath, I latched onto the trunk of a tree. I climbed up, up, up, until I reached the nearest branch. Without looking down, I dangled from the tree, frantically holding onto the branch for dear life. I even swung my legs back and forth a few times to get used to the feeling of air replacing solid ground under my feet. The branch cracked.

"Uh oh."

* * *

By daybreak, I was soon able to perform a few feats and land on the ground with both feet. An experienced acrobat would have called me a "natural". I personally think that it was determination. 

But I was too exhausted to think about anything at that point. Six miles of walking and four hours of falling off trees could potentially kill a kid my age. I crawled up the slide and, in my thin jacket, I dozed off to sleep with a silly smile on my face.

* * *

I woke the next morning to the smell of ramen. _It's Sakura._ I opened my eyes happily. 

She wasn't there.

I looked down, and a bowl of ramen covered with plastic wrap sat on the bottom of the slide. Under it lay a piece of paper with a short message written on it, and I could immediately recognize Sakura's neat handwriting.

_I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't play with you anymore. But please eat the ramen.

* * *

_

For the next several hours, those who passed by wondered why that sandy-haired kid didn't take his eyes off a piece of paper, and why the _hell_ did he bring his lunch to the playground?

But I was stone. I was ice. I was an inanimate object, anything that was tough enough to keep out the hurt and the pain. But then my shell softened, and the hurt and pain pierced the flesh underneath.

A tissue flashed underneath my eyes. It wiped away the tears that stung my cheeks and my dripping nose. I didn't resist. Though softened, I was still a statue.

"What'sa matter?" A girl's face peeked up at mine. I wiped my runny nose with my sleeve.

"Ooo." She wrinkled her nose. "Don't do that, it's not sanitary." _Another girl who knows big words._

The thought of Sakura made tears run down my face again. The girl clicked her tongue, and then wiped my face again.

"Oh, come on. Scoot over." I scooted. She looked at me. "Wanna talk?" I shook my head. "Ok, that's fine."

She didn't say anything for the whole day. I wouldn't have even dared to talk. But she seemed content enough with staring at the passing clouds.

However, there came an end. As the blaze of the setting sun tinted the sky with red, she stood up.

"I'm Tenten," she said. "Oh, and don't forget to eat that ramen." Then she walked away.

I was saddened by the sudden lack of support. No one liked me anymore. Sakura didn't even want to be my friend. _I'll die here today. I'll die here and no one will care._

So I slipped off my jacket and dumped the ramen (now cold) onto the grass. If I was going to die, I would do it properly and on the only place where I belonged – on my throne.

Then I heard footsteps. Who would come to the playground at night?

"Hey, you're going to catch a cold like that. Put your jacket on." It was Tenten.

I shook my head vigorously. No, no, no, no!

"Too bad." She dumped a quilt on me. I kicked it away. She clicked her tongue again and pressed the blanket back onto my shivering body. I shrugged it off.

"Baka!" she shouted impatiently. She took the quilt and attempted to suffocate me with it. I cried out in panic, trying to wrestle her off. Tenten won.

"Fine." I sulked.

Tenten giggled. "You said something. _Finally._"

Shoot.

"Well, you've had your fun," I said sullenly. "Now leave me alone."

"Nope," she said and snuggled under the covers next to me. "You can't shake me off that easily."

"You're staying?" I was amazed – not to mention irritated – at this rebellious, loud-mouthed girl.

"Yup."

"Fine."

It went on like that for a couple of days. I refused to leave the slide, and Tenten fought to keep me alive. But simply forcing a pillow underneath my head every night and shoving sticky rice down my throat told me that we'd be friends. Or else.

But I grew stronger everyday. Tenten was supportive in her own little way, leaving behind notes like "Don't kill yourself tonight!" or "I'll burn your body once you die from the flu!" Such a sweet little girl.

Finally, I surrendered. After a diet of only white rice, Tenten celebrated by bringing me to Ichiraku's. She even insisted on buying sake. We both laughed and goofed off as naturally as if we had known each other since birth. For the most part, it was a good day.

However, I still had a longing to dust off my acrobat skills that I had left for about a month. And I still didn't have an audience yet.

I immediately ran to Tenten's house. She was on her doorstep, ready to leave.

"Tenten!" I called. She whipped around, surprised.

"Hey, Naruto. I kind of have to go to piano les-"

"Too bad!" I seized her wrist and made a beeline for the playground. "Ok, ok. Please, it won't take long."

As quickly as I could, I charged up a tree, swung furiously from branch to branch, and then flipped round and round in the air. My feet touched the ground softly, a perfect landing. With my chest heaving up and down, I asked her, "Was it good?"

She looked at me as if I were utterly crazy. "That was the most amazing thing I have ever seen in my life."

Tenten then glanced at her watch and sprinted to her piano lessons, five minutes late.

In the afternoon, Tenten ran to the playground, necklace bobbing up and down, eyes wide and excited. Her lips moved up and down, a voice drowned in a sea of chattering children. But I knew what she was saying: "Do it again!"

So I did.

And everyday, Tenten would coach me on what not to do, how I was doing, and if it looked good. I gathered up enough feedback and techniques before I made an announcement to a proud Tenten.

"Tenten…" I hesitated. She beamed. "Tenten…I had another friend." She tilted her head, and I could tell that her eyes were puzzled.

"Oh…okay?"

"No, no…the reason why I didn't want to leave the playground was because of Sakura!"

"Wait…Sakura? That's your friend?"

"Yeah. But…she told me one day that she couldn't play with me anymore." My heart twisted with pain at the remembrance of that day.

"Oh…listen, Naruto?" Tenten looked at me softly. "A lot of kids tell me that you are bad. I mean _bad_. I don't know why. But maybe…maybe Sakura was influenced by her other friends."

"R-r-really? Is that why she would just…just stop being my friend?" I sniffled.

"I think that's the worst excuse for leaving a best friend." Tenten lowered her eyes and clenched her fists. "Who would do something like that?"

"But, Tenten! I want my friend back! I really want Sakura back! I miss her so-" Then I stopped abruptly. Tenten's hand went limp. _I've hurt her feelings. I've hurt Tenten. My best friend. And she didn't leave me…_

I _was_ really bad. No wonder no one wanted to share the slide with me.

In one swift movement, I wrapped my arms around Tenten, squeezing the life out of her, pressing childish, slobbery kisses on her head. In her ear, I whispered every apology I could think of. _I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry…_

"What do you mean, 'sorry'?" she raised her head to reveal a wide grin. "Let's go win her back!"

The ever-optimistic Tenten, she was really something.

* * *

"Ok. You ready?" 

"I'm ready."

"Should I start now?"

"Yeah."

"Ok." Tenten gave me a thumbs-up. Then she raised a megaphone to her lips and yelled at the top of her lungs: "SAKURA!! HARUNO SAKURA!! HAS ANYONE SEEN HARUNO SAKURA?!?"

I nearly fainted. "Oh my god, Tenten, did you have to do that?"

"Yup!" She winked at me. "It's the most convenient way to find Sakura!"

Tenten's smile suddenly faded from her lips. Then she dove into the crowd.

"What are you doing, Tenten?"

"I found her!" came her muffled voice. Tenten pushed her way out of the crowd, pulling Sakura roughly by the arm. Sakura looked miserably distraught.

I stood in front of her, waiting for her eyes to meet mine. Then I kneeled down in front of her and begged, "Please, Sakura, if this is the last time you ever want to see me, it's ok with me - as long as you watch me this once."

I backed away. Then I raised my hands over my head and began. I leaned back, and my body dipped low. Slowly, I let my fingertips brush the earth. Then I sprang from the ground, soaring and spinning in the air, landing lightly and then engaging in a series of flips and turns.

I glanced at Sakura – her hands were clasped tightly together, her face flushed with excitement. And her eyes were indeed respectful.

My hands reached the branch of a cherry blossom tree. It barely shook as I leaped from limb to limb, bough to bough. My heart palpated wildly. Finally, I came down in front of her with my hands cupping a delicate flower – a _sakura_. I gently placed it in her hair, pausing to comb her hair with my fingers, and then stepped back. Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears. She ran to me and hugged me tightly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Naruto," she sobbed. "That day, I was going to make ramen for you instead of buying it, and my parent's asked who I was giving it to. When I mentioned your name, they told me that I could never see you again."

"Oh," I said, and returned her embrace.

"But we'll still be friends, no matter what! No matter what my parents tell me!"

"Forever?"

"Forever."

* * *

Now, as I watch the red sunset from my long-abandoned castle, I can be the little Naruto I was ten years ago. I can go back to a time when my clothing wasn't stained with spilled blood of our enemies, when my legs and arms weren't scarred with the blade of kunai knives. We were, in our own little way, "happy." 

And, as I reminisce about my long-ago days, I know that there is only one person who can share my throne -

"Hey, Naruto! Neko-chan was looking for you."

"Oh - thanks, Tenten."

My beautiful kitten is suddenly sulky. I take her from Tenten-chan's hands and bury my face into her soft fur. She purrs.

I growl back, and Tenten laughs. She looks at me and smiles. "Scoot over," she says.

Our kingdom is suddenly very crowded. I notice that Tenten's thighs have gotten bigger, but I don't mention this. Commenting on any physical part of a lady is the biggest mistake you can possibly make in a lifetime. I learned that the hard way.

But as we sit on our own little slide, petting Neko-chan's silky ears, we can forget the opponent we battle tomorrow, the new catastrophe in the neighboring village, or the new illness that a family member caught.

And so the light dims,

the flute sings,

the costumes are set,

the audience applauds -

but no one is on the stage.


	2. I'll Be Strong

This chapter is a lot shorter than the previous, though I do believe that quality is better than quantity. Again, I hope that people enjoy this fic as much as the last.

* * *

"Naruto?" A head in the crowd of passing students turned around in response. Jiraiya waved the latest copy of _Make-out Tactics _in the air. Naruto turned around again and prepared to scram. 

"Hey, hey!" Jiraiya yanked at his collar and playfully dangled him in the air.

"Let me go, you stupid pervert!" Naruto clumsily swung his fists at Jiraiya.

"Now, Naruto, is that any way to talk to an elder?" Jiraiya smiled teasingly at him.

"Ha!" he spat. "Elder, my ass! What are you going to do, spank me?"

"I should keep that in mind." Jiraiya's fatherly smile annoyed the hell out of Naruto. "I want you to give this to Kakashi. Oh, and do be careful. This is a special edition (!!) of my growing series." Jiraiya beamed proudly. "And you _must_ imagine how much you would have to pay up if you were to 'lose' it on the way."

Naruto mentally hurtled a mouthful of foul language at his superior. And he _thought_ he would get away with tearing up the glossy cover and pasting the remains on Kakashi's door.

He snatched the book from Jiraiya's hands. "Fine. I'll do it."

"Haruno won't know about this either," Jiraiya called. "You'd like that, no?" He chuckled and readied himself for another barrage of futile punches.

Naruto's sensei had never known his pupil to pass an opportunity to pick a fight (verbally and physically) with anyone - _anyone_. But Naruto looked at him, his face suddenly pallid, expressionless, his lips forming words, sentences, phrases –

But nothing came out.

He whirled around and rushed out of the building. His erratic breathing did nothing to help him calm the beating of his heart.

"Man." Naruto wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "I _gotta_ stop this." He closed his eyes for a moment and pressed his fingers to his temples. "Ok." He exhaled. "Now I have to send this book to the _other_ perverted teacher."

He turned his pockets inside out. Two coins rolled onto the sidewalk. "Aww..."

"You need money for the bus fare?"

Naruto hastily bent down and grabbed what was left of his pitiable salary. "I'm fine, thanks."

"Really, Naruto. I'm willing to pay."

Naruto spun around. "Sa…Sakura…"

"Hi, Naruto-kun," Sakura said softly. She patted the bench next to her. Naruto obediently sat down.

"I like your sweater," she commented. "Is it new?"

Naruto grunted and fiddled with the thick blue material. "Sasuke bought it for me."

"Oh."

Awkward silence.

"So are you going to the library?"

"What?"

"The library. You're holding a book."

"T-t-the book…" Naruto stiffened. _The book. _Both hands descended on the cursed front cover and he prayed that, god almighty, would you _please_ make her drop the damn topic…

"Is it a good book?" _Crap._

"…It was Kakashi-sensei's…recommendation."

"Oh." She peered at it. Naruto immediately shot up. "Well, I should get going now."

"Wait!" Sakura cried. Naruto looked back quickly, surprised. "Let's ride the bus together. Come on, I'll pay."

Naruto opened his mouth and then clamped it shut. "No. Sorry." His tone was rigid and suddenly forceful.

Sakura was taken aback for a moment. Then she composed herself and smiled weakly. "W-well…I _do _suppose you want to go somewhe-"

"No, Sakura. I said I don't need your money."

This completely unraveled Sakura. "Oh, Naruto…" Tears streamed down her cheeks, and she grabbed his wrist. "Don't you want to go somewhere? Anywhere? How about that restaurant with the nice view? Or-"

"I said I don't need your services, bitch!" Naruto angrily shoved her into the mob of bus-waiters. He began to stomp away.

"Oh, Naruto, Naruto…" Her pathetic, tiny voice pulled him back. Sakura knelt on the ground and covered her face with her hands, tears streaming through her fingers, her shoulders trembling violently. And as she lifted her tearstained face, and Naruto could see that little girl he so carelessly fell in love with.

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto wrapped his arms around her and cradled her, soothed her, wiped away her tears.

Then Sakura felt a sensation overwhelm her. The rising tide mounted into the sky and then, with tremendous force, crashed down upon her. It washed away the perfume that she bought last week, the scented facial creams she used everyday. Sakura's purse, her daddy's thick wad of cash, and her silk blouse plummeted to the depths of the ocean.

And then the waves yielded.

"Sakura?!? SAKURA!!" Naruto seized her arm before her fist collided with the glass window of a nearby car.

"I'm a bitch, aren't I? I'm such a bitch, I'm so sick of myself!" She tore her arm from his grip.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Naruto wrestled her down as she prepared to sabotage the next car down the line.

"Get off of me! Damn it!"

"Nope," Naruto replied and slung Sakura over his shoulder as easily as if she were made out of cloth.

"Let me go! I said _let me go_!" Sakura pounded his back with her fists.

Naruto paid no attention to her. "You say you're sick of yourself," he said coolly. "You should be. Right now, you sound like daddy's little spoiled brat."

Sakura's flailing arms died down. She lay limply on his shoulder. Finally, he gently set her down on a familiar smooth surface. Sakura's face lighted up.

"The slide fixes all problems, doesn't it?" Sakura laughed a little as she lovingly stroked the sloping edges.

"Don't move. I'll be right back." Naruto dashed away with a hand up in the air - his fingers were crossed. It was a promise.

Sakura patiently waited, and he did come back. Two fresh bowls of ramen were carefully placed at the end of the slide, and Naruto beckoned for her to come down. Grinning, Sakura lay flat on her stomach and set sail, gliding smoothly down the undisturbed waters. She docked down below, a skilled sailor, and kissed her fellow crewmate on the cheek.

"Hey, hey, enough of that." Naruto handed her the bowl of ramen. "Eat the food. You're going _mental_, I tell you."

Sakura rapidly stuffed noodles into her mouth. She hadn't eaten such good food in _years_, since Ino had haughtily pointed out that her waist was smaller than Sakura's.

"Breathe, Sakura." Naruto looked at her, somewhat amusedly, and dabbed at her dripping chin with a napkin. He chuckled. "Want me to feed _you_ this time?" He pulled out the dangling noodles from the bowl.

* * *

The sun was setting right in front of the slide, just like it had during Naruto's beloved Sakura Days. Two empty bowls were carelessly tossed onto the ground. 

Sakura's head rested on Naruto's shoulder, bare feet dangling from the slide. She smiled at the remembrance of the blood-orange sky. But then her smile faded.

"Naruto, where did you get the money to buy the ramen?"

"Oh, don't worry about that. I found 1,000 yen on the ground."

"Na-ru-to!!"

"Ok, ok…I ran home and got some money and _then _bought the ramen."

"Oh, you baka!" Sakura angrily swiped at his head. "Why do you waste so much money for me? For _me_?!?"

"You were having a nervous breakdown, what else could I do?!?" Naruto said defensively.

"I wasn't having a nervous breakdown!"

"Yes, you were! Didn't you see yourself? You nearly trashed two cars!"

"I…I was sick of myself."

"What does that _mean_?"

"I mean that I'm sick of being that spoiled girl who needs to be pitied! I'm sick of having to hurt my best friend." Sakura stroked his chin. "I'm weak, Naruto."

Naruto quavered at her soft touch. He gently pushed away her hand. "Be strong, then."

"I will! Yes, I'm never going to be weak anymore!"

"Are you going to commit to that?" Naruto firmly looked at her. "Are you going to become truly strong?"

"I'll do it! Just you watch, Naruto! I'll be stronger than anything!" She held out her pinky finger. Naruto looked at it, confused, and then realization spread across his face. He broke into a wide smile and hooked his own finger with hers. It was a promise. A childish promise, but still a promise nonetheless.

_-Was I falling in love with her all over again? And is she falling in love with me?-_

But then the sleepy summer heat was replaced with a cold, cold feeling in Naruto's stomach.

"Where did Jiraiya's book go?"


	3. My Tenten

I'm sorry that this chapter came out so late. I didn't have enough time to produce quality writing in the time period I was given to sit at the computer and work.

* * *

"Flat." 

Naruto poked at Gama-chan. "Completely flat. Empty."

He sighed and slumped over his desk. "Dang, Jiraiya's book took a _lot_ out of Gama-chan! And no work, either." He picked up the newspaper and stared at the columns of red slashes on the page entitled "Job Opportunities".

"Naruto!! Are you there?" It was Tenten.

"Yeah! Come in!"

Tenten tousled his hair affectionately. "Hey, you haven't been out for weeks. You got me all worried, you little rascal."

"I'm trying to make some money, Tenten."

"What? Money?" Tenten's face was suddenly filled with concern. "What about your part-time job? Look at me, Naruto."

"They fired me."

"What?!? Why? They know you have financial problems, they wouldn't just do that." Tenten cupped his chin and lifted his face. She looked at him firmly in the eye. "Why?"

"I didn't go to work."

"What did you say?"

"I said I didn't go to work. I was in the playground, you know, on the slide." Naruto stared dreamily out the window. Then – "Ow!"

"You deserve a good slap once in a while, to get your head out of the clouds." Tenten angrily drilled his head again.

"My god, woman! Stop harassing me!" He yelped as Tenten landed another powerful one on his backside. Naruto quickly grabbed her and pushed her to the wall.

Tenten glared at him furiously, and Naruto glared back. Then Tenten blushed.

"What?" Naruto asked roughly.

"Think about it for a second," Tenten snapped.

It took within a cat's yawn for it to register in Naruto's head. His neck and face flushed deeply.

"Ahh…right." He removed his fingers (which were slowly working their way down Tenten's skirt) from her waist and uneasily brushed them against his jeans. _What the hell am I doing?_

Tenten began to giggle. "If you're that desperate, then I might as well help you,"

"Oh, that's hilarious," Naruto said sarcastically. "Forget it. I'm fine on my own."

Tenten ignored his remark and skimmed through the newspapers. "Hmm…there's Jiraiya's assistant – no, you crossed that out…numerous times…"

"Don't bother, Tenten. There's nothing good in there," Naruto called, sticking his head into the refrigerator.

"At this point, it looks hopeless," Tenten reported. "But – oh, wait! There's one where you take care of horses!"

"Horses? I got kicked by one once." Naruto returned with a carton of milk in hand and shivered at the childhood memory of his first horse. "No, thanks."

"Are you going to be a pampered princess for the rest of your life, or are you going to make some damn money?" Tenten demanded.

"Ok! Ok! I'll take the job!!"

* * *

_Swish. Swish. _

"You can stop doing that."

The horse lazily turned to Naruto. Her beady eyes glowed with mischief. She continued to swing her tail in a most irritating manner.

"Seriously, that was the only thing I've heard for the past two hours. Stop it."

Sensing Naruto's annoyance, she nuzzled Naruto's neck with her warm nose. Naruto softened and petted her mane. The horse suddenly grunted and trotted away.

"What? You have to go to the bathroom? Ok, but please do it _here_, not _there_, because I'm already shoveling your fragrant – aww, come on!"

The horse let out a stuttering sigh.

"Fine, you won. But this is the last time, you hear me? I already can't stand cleaning up after Neko-chan, so don't make it even harder for me." Naruto stumbled over her hooves as he walked by. The horse neighed and reared up, flinging one very blessed being into a "fragrant" heap of animal refuse.

* * *

Sasuke would never have expected Naruto to even bother to think about one of the fanciest restaurants in Konoha. However, a very disturbed Naruto staggered into Ichiban (scaring two of the waitresses). 

"Naruto, over here!" Sasuke jumped from his seat and waved with animated energy. Naruto smiled weakly at his lively little friend.

"Hey," he managed to say and, sighing, slumped over the fine cutlery.

"What's wrong? You look like shit," Sasuke commented, a frown deepening the creases under his perfect eyebrows.

"Thanks. I smell like it too."

Sasuke then sat up straight and folded his arms. "Well, then. Waiter! Five bottles of sake! No, I'm _not_ messing around!"

"Hey, hey!" Naruto hissed and lowered Sasuke's arm. "Keep it down!"

Sasuke leaned towards him. "You need to relax for once. Why don't you spend a weekend with Sakura-chan on the beach? Or how about a nice cruise? Sakura can afford that."

Naruto shook his head. "Can't. I have to find work, otherwise I'm bro– I mean, I need work." Naruto reddened and began twirling a knife around.

Sasuke looked at him questioningly. "What were you doing before? Wallowing in animal crap?"

"More or less."

"Well, I know where you can find work. Right _here_." Sasuke casually extended his arms. "Am I genius or what?"

"Well, _genius_, I'm pretty sure that you looked in the newspaper today. Did you happen to see any work, hmm?"

"Yes! Yes, I did!" Sasuke said enthusiastically. "They need a new pianist!"

"And do you suppose I know how to play piano?"

"Well…no." Sasuke banged his fist against the table. "Damn it, Naruto, stop ruining it!"

* * *

Naruto ate his rice in the dim light of the setting sun. He chewed slowly, knowing that he wouldn't have a chance to eat good food again sooner or later. _The AC needs to go off soon, too. I can't afford to let it last throughout the whole night._

_This shouldn't be the way I'm supposed to live. So should I play piano? Those lessons with Tenten probably are gone by now._

Naruto smiled at those memories.

* * *

"_What does the 'piano alphabet' end with?"_

"_J."  
_

"_No, it's G. Remember, Naruto, G."

* * *

_

"_Boy, Tenten-chan, this piece is really hard!"_

"_Don't worry! You're the best piano player ever! Even better than me! I mean it!"

* * *

_

"_Why are you crying, Tenten-chan?"  
_

"_It was beautiful, Naruto-kun. You played it so well. Do it again, please."

* * *

_

Neko-chan meowed. She rubbed against Naruto's shirt. Naruto placed his chopsticks down and picked her up, burying his face against her stomach of soft fur.

"You think I can do it, Neko-chan? You really think I can get out of this hellhole?"

_Absolutely.

* * *

_

"Tenten-chan. Tenten-chan." Naruto knocked Tenten's front door softly. He heard a shuffle of footsteps and then dove into a nearby rosebush.

"Hmm? Tenten, dear, did you hear anything? I thought someone just knocked."

"No, I didn't. That's strange."

"Well, your father and I are going shopping. We'll be back soon, so don't go off to a friend's house!"

"Ok! Bye, okaa-san!"

Naruto then leaped out of the bush and hugged Tenten-chan. Tenten let out a little squeal, and then hugged Naruto back. "W-what's the matter, Naruto-kun?"

He sweeped her into the air and slung her over his shoulder. "It's perfect, Tenten-chan! It's perfect!" He laughed out in sheer bliss.

Tenten shrieked (and laughed at the same time) as she bounced up and down. "Ok, ok! What's so perfect?"

Naruto set her down. "Tenten, let me practice on your piano."

"What? Why?"

"Why? Because I just found a job!"

"With a piano? A pianist, you mean? Why, that's perfect, Naruto!!" Tenten's eyes glowed with excitement. "Wait. But do you remember anything?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But, still! I think I can do this!" He grabbed her arm and charged into her house.

"You still remember where the piano is?"

"Of course. It's in the family room, next to the wall with the window facing east." He sat down smugly on the familiar leather seat. "Ok. Which song first?"

"Do you remember that Valse by Chopin?"

"Oh, yeah. You cried when I played that."

"Yes, because you did it so well. Let's see if you can do it again."

Naruto set his hands on the keys and looked at the notes. _Eighth note, quarter rest, B flat_. It was all rushing back into his tingling fingertips. So he began.

As he played, he cheerfully glanced at Tenten. Her eyes were closed, she was silent, and tears steadily trickled down her face. He abruptly stopped.

"Why didn't you finish?" Tenten opened her eyes. "Go on, keep on playing."

"I don't want that kind of response from the audience."

"Oh, Naruto, you just don't understand," Tenten gushed. "It was like – oh, it was so beautiful – like being dehydrated and then drinking something refreshing and feeling go down your throat, oh, it was so beautiful. I couldn't help but cry."

"Really?" Naruto scratched his head, embarrassed. "Wow."

"Yeah, I'm serious!" Tenten's face lit up as she grabbed his hands. "You'll be great, don't worry about it!"

Naruto practiced multiple pieces the next few days, over and over again until he was completely comfortable. Then, with a wide grin, he waved goodbye to Tenten as he left for Ichiban.

* * *

Tenten had expected Naruto to come back in at least two hours. 

But Naruto returned within the next ten minutes.

And swearing.

"They want a girl! A fucking woman!" Naruto flung his sneakers on Tenten's lawn and lay there, pummeling the ground with his fists. _Damn it, damn it, damn it!!_

Worrying a little bit more about the potential harm Naruto was capable of rather than about Naruto himself, Tenten rushed over.

"They want a woman? Oh, I'm so sorry, Naruto." Tenten quickly examined the lawn.

"Oh, my _lord_! Damn it, _damn_ it! They told me that, unless I would wear a wig and freaking _cross-dress_, they wouldn't hire me! –bleep- them!"

"Oh, I'm so – wait." Tenten looked up at him. "Dress like a girl? Naruto, that really isn't too bad of an idea. I mean, you could be taken for a girl, with the right makeup and a higher-pitched voice."

Naruto sat up and glared at her. Bits of grass fluttered from his head. He flopped to the ground again.

"I'm serious, Naruto! You could get this job! Really, you can! If it weren't for the gender problem, you would be able to do this!"

"Yeah, but the 'gender problem' is apparently a pretty big deal."

"Fine. Don't cooperate. Your mistake." She huffed and then walked back into her house. Naruto was suddenly silent.

* * *

_Ding, dong. _Tenten opened the door and smiled sweetly. "Do I know you?" 

"I'm doing it, ok?" Tenten laughed and pulled in a huffy, indignant Naruto.

* * *

Naruto allowed makeup and hair extensions, but Tenten simply crossed the line when she pulled out her undergarments. 

"No. No bra. That's it." Naruto backed away.

"Come on, you look great! Girls who look as cute as you don't have flat chests."

"Are you implying that I need breasts?"

"Oh, just put it on." She stuffed her bra into his hands. Naruto began to refuse, but then dangled the limp object in the air and examined it.

"Damn, those are some small-"

Naruto immediately paused when Tenten dropped the lipstick case and balled her fingers into a fist.

_Uh oh.

* * *

_

Sasuke was able to laugh for the next few days. And he had the right to.

"How is the bra, Naruto?" Sasuke teased. "I hope you really feel as comfortable as you look in it."

Naruto didn't even attempt to swat at this maddening fly that forever buzzed in his ear. He sighed and turned around.

"Look, Sasuke," he began, "I'm tired. My feet are being mutilated by these cursed heels and my jeans are shoving up my ass. Just leave me alone."

Naruto spun around (while tripping) and stumbled to the only place he could think of now.

* * *

"Tenten-chan?" Naruto's tone was thick with surprise. "It's so late! What are you doing on the slide?" 

"Oh. No reason, I guess." Tenten's voice wavered a bit as she spoke. She hastily cleared her throat.

Naruto peered at her skeptically. "Anything wrong, Tenten?"

"No, no. Nothing's wrong."

"Ok, then." Naruto kicked off his high-heels and climbed up. "Well, guess what? Sakura-chan went to watch me play at Ichiban. Isn't that great? She told me I did great…and…she mentioned something about how I looked funny with breasts…but that's fine! It was pretty good compliment, I think." Naruto let out a silly laugh and blushed.

"Mmm…" Tenten said absentmindedly.

"So…how is it going with you and Neji? Never mind - I already know the answer, you look so lovestruck!" Naruto nudged her playfully.

"He turned me down." Tenten lowered her eyes.

"_What?!?_ He did what?" Naruto jumped up.

"It's no problem, Naruto. He can do whatever he wants to do."

"Are you ok with this, Tenten?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Are you sure?"

"Oh, fuck off, Uzumaki!" Tenten angrily shoved him off the slide. But then she covered her face with her hands. "Oh, Naruto…Naruto-kun, I'm so, so sorry!!" Tenten choked back a sob.

"Tenten-chan…" Naruto stood up and rubbed her arm consolingly. Tenten's sad, sad eyes bore into his own. His grip hardened. "That son of a bitch. I'm going to fucking strangle him!" Naruto slammed the slide so hard that Tenten temporarily stopped crying.

"Please, Naruto. Please, stop." A pleading look in Tenten's eyes softened something in his heart. Without thinking, Naruto picked her up and, cradling her gently, ran home.

* * *

Naruto laid her limp figure on his couch. Tenten cried softly as he left. Even as Naruto sat down, he couldn't tame the blazing fire that erupted in his body. 

_That …that fucking bastard made Tenten cry. I'll rip out his heart, then he'll feel the same pain._

In the adjacent room, a faint dripping sound caught Naruto's attention. _She's taking a shower? Well, I guess that's all right…_

But why did Naruto care so much about Tenten? Why was he so angry when Neji refused her? That could have happened to anybody. _But he did it to Tenten. My Tenten._

Naruto groaned. "I'm just being obsessive right now. That's it. There can't be another reason."

Could there?

"Naruto, I used your shower." Tenten walked up to him. "Sorry, I didn't ask you first."

"Oh, that's all -" Naruto suddenly turned around to find Tenten dripping with water under a towel hanging loosely on her body.

Naruto's heart squeezed and twisted as one thought refused to leave his mind: _If Neji had dated Tenten, he would have gotten all of this._

Naruto stood up. _Not anymore. _

"What's wrong, Naruto?" Tenten asked as Naruto slowly approached her. There was something strangely daunting in his eyes, and she backed away.

Naruto grabbed her shoulders and slammed her to the wall. He crushed his mouth against hers. Tenten tried to resist, and Naruto could feel it beneath his lips.

"Why do you want Neji? Why? Am I not good enough for you?" Naruto kissed her neck seductively. Tenten blushed.

"It's not that, Naruto," she breathed. "It's just – it's just…" She faltered. Naruto's piercing, azure-blue eyes left her mind muddled and confused.

"It's what?" Naruto's lips moved to her chest. "Tell me."

"Y-you're only a friend…" Tenten protested futilely.

"Only a friend? Is that it?" Naruto's fingers worked their way down to Tenten's waist.

"But…it's not right…" Tenten's legs wobbled slightly as Naruto tugged at her towel.

"I love you, Tenten." Naruto looked at her fiercely. "I love you more than anything."

Tenten's heart was ready to spill open. "More than Sakura?" she whispered.

"Sakura was just…Sakura. She never meant anything to me, and she never will. Tenten, goddamn it, I love you!"

That did it. Tenten eagerly threw her arms around Naruto's neck returned his kiss. "I love you, too!"

In a frenzy of passionate kisses, Tenten's breathing was suddenly erratic. She slid her arms up Naruto's shirt and rested them on his well-muscled chest. Naruto pushed her onto his bed. _Damn it, just take off her clothes!_

Tenten gazed up at him and smiled. "Let's see how well you can seduce me," she said, and let her damp towel fall to the floor.

* * *

In a quiet town called Konoha, a boy with long black hair presses his ear to the door of an apartment. Jealousy is written across his face. 

He slumps to the ground.


	4. Understanding

5:58 AM.

The cold morning light cascaded onto Sasuke's bedspread. He fixed his eyes on the shadows cast upon his sheets, writhing and quavering to the lone howl of the wind.

"It's Tuesday, isn't it?" Sasuke murmured sadly. "No wonder I can't sleep."

He shut off his alarm clock a mere second before it rang.

The blunted blade of insomnia etched exhaustion into his movement. Sasuke listlessly carried his body down the stairs and past the kitchen. Today, he wasn't hungry.

The sun peeked shyly past the acres of lush forest. Sasuke shivered. _Not a good day to be wearing a T-shirt. _He began to walk down the main road.

He went by Sakura's house. _Not yet. I still need a little more time to tell her. _

He hurriedly walked past Naruto's apartment. _Good lord, I heard the neighbors complaining about him and Tenten. Maybe I'll buy him some condoms tomorrow._

Then Sasuke stopped at the graveyard.

His feet dragged up the grassy hill, and he searched for the engravings on one simple slab of stone he desired to see today.

"Well, are you ashamed of me?" Sasuke chuckled softly, kneeling down at the foot of the gravestone. "Are you angry? Pleased? Annoyed?"

"Sasuke!" Sasuke's head snapped up to find his friend gazing down at him. "Sasuke-kun."

"Naruto, what are you doing here?" Sasuke demanded.

"You always are here on Tuesdays."

"Well, you sure do know a _lot_ about me." Sasuke's voice was sharp. But then he sighed. "Do you need anything?"

"Don't keep on thinking about it," Naruto murmured consolingly. "It's over. It's all in the past now."

"Now, now, we should be celebrating, right?" Sasuke piped up cheerfully. "Naruto and Tenten, _finally!_"

"Heh." Naruto blushed and shrugged sheepishly. "Yeah, I guess so."

"Come on, let's get your girl something nice to wear! She's too boyish, I think. But, then again, _you _would know just how feminine she is, right?" Sasuke chortled.

Naruto's face tinted slightly. "Ok, I get it," he snapped. "What do I buy her?"

"Well, you've got dresses, jeans, mini-skirts, tank tops…" Sasuke went on to list all the items of clothing that women could possibly own.

Naruto grimaced. "What else can people think up?"

"…there's peach pink, coral pink, soft pink, fuchsia…"

Naruto slipped away before he could notice.

"Excuse me." The bespectacled saleslady peered from behind the skirt rack. "Hi, I need to buy something for my…my…my _girlfriend_," Naruto whispered secretively.

The lady nodded knowingly. "All right. It's the season for skirts and the sort. Buy her high-heels or nice shoes – there are some on the discount shelf over there." The lady pointed in the specified direction. Naruto thanked her and ambled around.

"In season, huh?" Naruto fingered the blue lace on a blouse and smiled. "Sure."

* * *

As soon as he had left the mall with a shopping bag in hand, two swift hands caught Naruto's arms and shoved him to a shadowy corner of the building.

"Uzumaki." A voice hissed and grated with obvious distaste. "Uzumaki. What did you do with Tenten last week?"

"What?" Naruto asked, slightly dazed.

"Tell me. _Tenten!!_ What the hell did you do with her?" Fingers curled around Naruto's shoulders and shook him aggressively until he felt slightly giddy.

"N-Neji? Is that you?" Naruto slurred.

"Tell me. TELL ME!!"

_What is he doing? Why – _

Then it clicked. Naruto's mind whirred to life. He grabbed Neji's shirt and glared at him with all the hatred he could collect in his shaky state of mind.

"You want to know what I did? Hmm, Neji? _You want to know what I did?_" he growled. Naruto's hands trembled with rage. A ferocious aura hung about him, threatening to smash every bone in Neji's face. "I _fucked_ her. And you know what? I fucked her so hard that you could _never_ touch her again!!"

At this precise moment Neji's fists crashed against Naruto's skull. The impact sent Naruto reeling backwards. He slid to the ground, blood steadily trickling down his forehead. Naruto angrily scoffed at the injury and stood up, swaying ever so slightly.

Neji brought his arm up for the finishing blow. Then his eyes, burning with intensity and wrath, cooled to an icy frost.

"We'll see about that." He smirked and, shoving his hands into his pockets, strolled away.

It was a warning.

Naruto couldn't care any less. He dusted his shirt off and walked out into the sun. His head throbbed painfully. The passerby around him was fuzzy and blurred like a camera out of focus, but he could catch the familiar glimpse of a duck's backside.

"Sasuke?" he said dizzily.

"Naruto! What the hell happened? Naruto? Naruto – you're bleeding! Oh my - NARUTO!!"

* * *

Naruto woke on a couch with a pounding headache and a package of ice on his forehead.

Tenten came rushing in with a bowl of soup in her hands. She stooped over and kissed his cheeks, his nose, his mouth. "Oh, Naruto…are you okay?"

"Never been better," he grunted. He looked around. "Where the hell am I?"

"In my house." Sasuke entered the room with a dramatic sweep of his hands. He seized Tenten and pulled her close. "And with your girlfriend." He blew her a kiss.

Tenten attacked him with a torrent of fierce punches. "Don't you – touch – ever – I'm – going – kill – you –"

"Tenten. _Tenten…_" Naruto tapped her shoulder. "Don't murder him. _Yet._"

Sasuke groaned as Tenten proceeded to trample on him. "Naruto!! _Help _me!!"

"Learn how to live with the violent female." Naruto grinned.

Tenten paused, allowing Sasuke mere seconds to scamper away. "I don't need your sexism right now," she snapped.

Naruto's hands slid around her waist. He nuzzled her neck. "I'm sorry," he purred. The electric blue in his eyes left her knees wobbly. "You forgive me, don't you?"

"Yes," she whispered. She gasped softly as his lips slid downwards and his hands moved up her back. "S-stop it. Not here. _Stop it!_"

Naruto stared at her, confused, as he was shoved to the side. "Are you pushing me away?"

Tenten looked away shamefacedly, her eyes stinging with tears.

What bothered Naruto was that she didn't respond.

"Naruto! Tenten!" Sasuke bounced in cheerily. He had the faint impression of an uncomfortable eavesdropper. "You want lunch? I'm cooking rice right now!"

"That would be great." Naruto smiled awkwardly. "Thanks, Sasuke."

* * *

The table was silent for the whole meal. A nearby clock _tick, tick, ticked_ impatiently. Sasuke's eyes swiveled to Naruto, then to Tenten, then to Naruto again.

"W-well!" Sasuke began with a twitching smile. "I was thinking that we could – "

"The walls."

"D-did you say anything, Naruto?"

"The walls need painting."

"Oh. Of course…they need painting." He looked up at the ceiling. "We obviously need to splash paint…all over the glossed wood."

Naruto squinted at him. "Didn't you say that you lived in a graveyard? That you lived in a place stained with your family's blood?"

Sasuke winced. "Ok. I did say that."

"Isn't a time for a change? You know, it's not your fault. What's done is done," Naruto said firmly.

"And you would know, right? You would understand _when_ and _where_ change should occur," Sasuke said with an acidic smile.

"I don't suppose that you are implying that _I don't understand_ what life alone is like," Naruto replied coldly.

"The hell you understand!!" Sasuke shot up and slammed the table.

"What do I understand? TELL ME WHAT I UNDERSTAND!!" Naruto screamed and stood up as well.

Both quickly glanced at Tenten, who silently stared at the steady stream of water flowing from the faucet. They both sat down and crossed their arms, looking away in shame.

"I may not know that much about death and family," Naruto finally said, "but I know who to blame when it comes to this."

Sasuke let out a sigh. "Oh, just drop it, Naruto."

"But killing Itachi wasn't your fault!" Naruto burst out.

Sasuke gripped the table. "I – told – you – to – drop – it," he said through clenched teeth.

Naruto suddenly stood up. He grabbed Sasuke's wrist and marched him to the bathroom. He locked the door behind him and glared at him.

"You wanted revenge. You got me and Sakura all worried over it, you left us for that bastard, Orochimaru, and once we found you, you left all over again to go play hide-and-seek with that damn brother of yours!" Naruto furiously slapped his face with an impact that made a sharp _crack_ resound in the tiled room. "You wanted revenge!! And you got it!" _Slap._ "Are you happy?" _Slap._ "ARE YOU HAPPY?!"

"Wait," Sasuke croaked, covering his face with his arms. "Not Itachi's kunai." Sasuke limped over to the lopsided knife that hung from a nail on the bathroom wall. He carefully straightened and polished it with his sleeve, as if it were a prized piece of finely crafted porcelain.

Naruto felt his heart tug as he watched this wretched person, worn away from years of guilt and loneliness, lovingly finger the only possession of the person he could never love.

"Sasuke, Sasuke…what is wrong with you?" Naruto crumbled to the ground, a mess of granite and eroding details.

He yelled, but it didn't mean anything.

He cried, but tears never came out.

And he loved, he loved his best friend, the dear brother he was in his own heart.

Sasuke sat down next to him. "I was messed up. I had problems…I had _dreams_. Even though Itachi left, Itachi was never gone. Itachi was always there, laughing from the heap of dead bodies he managed to pile up. I couldn't run away from Itachi. Itachi, Itachi, Itachi. It warped my mind to the point where I was irreversibly obsessed with it."

Naruto shivered. He imagined a murderer in every alleyway, every street, waiting for the right moment to pounce on him.

"I could have found a friend to help me, to sleep next to me whenever Itachi was smiling at me from the corner of my bedroom. I could have done so many things to limit the extent of my childish imagination. But I didn't. I was too angry and too scared to do anything. I thought that I could retain the dignity of the Uchiha bloodline by coping with things _alone_."

"Goddammit, Sasuke! You're so cocky." Naruto shook his head. "You think you can do everything by yourself."

"I thought I was the biggest and the baddest, didn't I?" Sasuke laughed humorlessly. "I found Itachi, I drove a single kunai into his heart, and he was gone. Gone, and what more? And, as blood spilled from his chest, do you know what he told me?" Sasuke turned to Naruto.

"Fuck you?" Naruto guessed.

"No. 'Well done, Sasuke,' and he smiled. Then it was all over. Isn't it strange how one second of regret can overrule years of hatred?" Sasuke's eyes were distant. "I couldn't believe how quickly I forgave my brother for everything."

"Did you cry?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke looked at him. "What do you think?"

"That's a yes."

"Obviously." Sasuke rolled his eyes and smacked Naruto on the forehead.

"So now what? You didn't have to stop fighting completely!"

"I was done fighting. Anything that involved hurting anyone else was something I couldn't bear to do. Do you see how badly this ended up? As soon as Itachi left this world, I swore to myself that I would do something, _anything_, to bring happiness in everyone's life."

"So you opened up a flower shop?" Naruto looked at him skeptically.

"Flowers, as crappy of an idea as it may seem, can help a lover, a friend, or someone who just is sick of the world and everything else. And besides, I'm making a huge profit from it." Sasuke grinned, and Naruto had to sit on his hands to stop from strangling him.

"S-so everything turned out okay," Naruto said, struggling to maintain patience.

"Yeah, I guess it's all right now. But I wonder…Naruto, do you think that Itachi would be angry at me for giving up after all those years of training?"

"Well…" Naruto began to speak, but then reconsidered. "You know what, Sasuke? I would have told you that he would have stuck by you no matter what, but I'll tell you the truth. He would have been mad as _hell._"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted. But he looked up at Itachi's kunai, a faint smile playing at his lips. "Well, then." He then tugged at Naruto's sleeve and said, "By the way, Naruto, you were talking about painting. I kind of see what you mean. This damn house is way too depressing."

"Can I suggest a color?"

"Ok."

"Orange."

"No. I like blue."

"Orange."

"Blue."

"Blue is too 'depressing'! I want orange."

"Orange is nauseating."

"How about orange and blue stripes?"

"No, blue."

"Sasuke…"

* * *

In the end, Sasuke and Naruto sanctioned the painting of blue-and-orange stripes. However, Tenten had the nerve to remark that Sasuke had perfect lines and Naruto was all over the place.

Being the typical competitive rascal, Naruto jealously splashed orange all over Sasuke's "perfect lines".

Sasuke then got ticked off and rubbed blue paint all over the orange to create a nasty sunburned effect.

Naruto was even more enraged and dipped his hand into the orange paint can, smearing crude pictures over the splashed wall.

As he laughed insanely, Sasuke dipped his own hands in the blue paint and rubbed it all over Naruto's favorite sweatshirt.

Naruto went into hysterics and punted five of the paint cans into the wall, creating an overall nasty mess of browned blue and burnt orange.

In turn, Sasuke nearly fainted at the sight of his precious, ancient, _sabotaged_, Uchiha estate and shrieked uncontrollably at the already panic-stricken Naruto.

Tenten summed it up by dumping both cans of blue and orange paint over their head and kicking them repeatedly.

"Are you freaking done?" Tenten placed her hands on her hips and frowned.

"One question," Sasuke gasped.

"What?" she snapped.

"Are you PMS-ing? Because I understa-"

"Oh, shove it, Uchiha."

Naruto began to laugh. "That's what I told him once. Do you remember that, Sasuke?"

Sasuke grinned. "Yeah."

"_Ohhh, I get it. You looooooove Sakura-kun…"_

"_Shut up! SHUT UP! THAT'S NOT IT!!"_

"_No problem, Naruto. I'll go buy the candy for you and give it to Sakura…without mentioning your name, of course."_

"_Shove it, Uchiha."_

But that was when Naruto had fallen for Sakura.

"Come on, Tenten. Let's go home." Naruto kissed Tenten's forehead and picked up his ruined sweatshirt. "Sorry, Sasuke. We'll clean up your house tomorrow."

"No, it's okay. I like it this way." Sasuke smiled. "Now there's something a little cheery about the Uchiha household."

"Suit yourself," Naruto said and waved goodbye. He then threw Tenten around his neck. "Now YOU'RE coming to my house."

* * *

"Naruto, I don't think this is a good idea." Tenten cut off Naruto's exploring hands from the access of her jeans.

"Why?" Naruto was slightly taken aback. "Is there something wrong?"

"My parents…" Tenten fumbled around for an excuse. "My parents are going to be worried. They're going to ask questions."

"You've stayed at my house nearly every day this week." Naruto grabbed at her unbuttoned shirt. "Come on, it's Friday. Just relax."

Naruto reached further and further into Tenten's jeans, murmuring in her ear, coaxing her to stay. He pleaded with his allure, demanded with his petrifying eyes.

Tenten had enough.

"Stop it. Get off of me!" Tenten covered the expanse of bare skin with her shirt and lashed out her legs. Naruto looked hurt.

_It's time to tell him the truth._

"Naruto…" Tenten was finally able to look into those pupils that accented the surrounding sheath of azure. "Neji confessed to me today."

Naruto was silent for a moment. "What did you say?"

He already knew the answer.

And on that empty stage, in those empty spotlights, the drumbeats battle for dominance, the curtain rises, and the audience roars –

The characters are exposed.


	5. Our Fate

_Man _that took long. Here is a list of excuses for not updating on time:

I'm tired. (Hell, everyone's tired.)

I'm busy. (Actually, I'm lazy and I procrastinate.)

I am suffering severe writer's block. (...now _that's_ an excuse)

Haha. Have fun reading the last chapter.

* * *

"Mister! Mister!" 

A scrawny kid in a tattered, oversized shirt called to a man who huddled in the shadowy corner of a building. He kneeled next to him and tugged at his robe.

"Hey, hey, mister, do you want to see magic?"

"There's no such a thing as magic." The man's voice was emotionless, even dead, as if someone had wrung the emotion out of him and left him out to dry. This was slightly startling to the boy, but he cleared his throat and smiled.

"Of course there's magic. If there was no such thing as magic, then how could the sky be blue or an orange be orange?" The boy jumped up and spread out his arms like an eagle preparing for flight. "There is magic EVERYWHERE!!" The passerby around the two glanced at them and scuttled off, hurrying their children along. The corners of the man's mouth twitched slightly. The boy grinned with satisfaction.

"Come with me, sir. I'll show you what magic is like." The boy slipped his hand into the man's and led him through the stream of villagers. The man noticed that the boy's hands were calloused, probably from toiling in the stretch of endless field that rippled on either side of him.

The boy finally stopped at a modest shop with a man hosing a garden of blooming flowers. He straightened his stooped back and waved. "Ryuu, you've found a customer?"

"A customer?" An angry look twisted the man's face. "You want money, is that it? You and your "magic!" Ha! What a piece of work!" The man roughly shoved the boy away.

"But sir…I was…I was just…I was going to give you this." Eyes flooding with tears, the boy raised a quivering hand, that grasped a fragile, pale narcissus.

The man's expression transitioned into one of humiliation, and he stumbled back. "Sorry," he muttered and, loosening his grip, helped the boy up.

"It's okay." The boy unleashed a wide, toothless grin. "Everyone has their grumpy days, don't they?"

* * *

The man soon found out that the boy only looked at the positive side of things. Whether it be garbage, swindlers, or half-mangled cats, everything was perfectly beautiful in his mind's eye. Simple pleasures were enough for the boy. However, his naïveté was not out of stupidity. He was philosophical in his own childlike way, spurting perceptive, spontaneous remarks at random. His future was bright, the man concluded. 

And the boy could talk.

And talk.

Now, the man was not all too fond of extensive, pointless conversations, but he actually quite liked it. Everything in his mind was always sorted and labeled "Necessary" or "Unnecessary," then packaged and ready to be grouped once more in the "Hate" or "Hate Even More" categories.

The boy also had a countless amount of questions. "Sir?" The boy once asked. "Why did you come to this village?"

"Well," the man responded, "I was wandering around. I guess you could say that I was running."

"Running away from what?" the boy wondered aloud.

"Everything. Fate, maybe." The man's haggard face tilted up into the sky.

"Mister, why are you looking up?"

"Alright, enough with the 'sir' and 'mister'. It's making me uncomfortable."

The boy laughed. "Yes, si- I mean, yes…what's your name?"

The man paused before responding. "My name is Naruto."

The boy didn't respond. He looked deep into the man's eyes, as if he was probing every inch of his mind. Then he turned away.

"No it isn't. You aren't 'Naruto'."

"How did you figure it out?" The man sounded amazed.

"You don't look like a "Naruto". And besides, Naruto is a silly name! Who would be named _that_?"

The man snorted. He clamped his mouth shut, but his shoulders were shaking up and down and a tiny snicker escaped his lips. The boy began to giggle as his face flushed a purplish-red. The two soon filled the street with unruly laughter that disappeared in the whispering fields surrounding them.

As they quieted down, the boy asked, "Do you want to see magic?" He hopped up and down eagerly. "I'll prove that there's magic!"

"I doubt that, but all right."

"Ok." The boy held the narcissus to the man's nose. The fragrance was pungent and aromatic, almost sorrowful. He inhaled deeply and sighed.

"Doesn't it smell nice?" The boy took in the scent himself and smiled longingly. "Now come with me!"

The boy pulled him across the field of swaying grass. At first, the man dragged his feet, futilely ordering the boy to stop. The boy only flashed a defiant grin and ran on.

"Listen!" he shouted above the whistling wind. "Listen to what the earth is telling you!"

The man sighed, defeated, and decided to play along. He closed his eyes and opened his ears.

What he heard was startling.

It was a scream, a deadly shriek from the underworld itself. A dissonance of shrill voices that reached out from Hell to ensnare him in the whirling wind.

The man cried out to the earth. "Forgive me. Forgive me." His voice was drowned out by the vocal chaos and clamor.

As the wind died down, so did the voices. A steady breeze filled the fields with song. The earth was no longer angry.

With the now-compliant man, the two dashed towards the setting sun, hoping to grasp that suspended ball of radiant fire before its flailing arms sank below the earth.

The man never wanted to stop. He tossed his head back and laughed out. The potency of the sweet narcissus had melted the last bit of frost in his heart. Hurtling across the field with unlimited energy, he lifted the boy onto his shoulders and ran, ran, ran.

"…I'm debating between pink and blue, though I think Ino would – hey, Sasuke, are you listening?" Shikamaru peered behind a rack of potted plants.

"Oh…sorry." Sasuke shook his head slightly. "I was just daydreaming a little."

"But do you think Ino would get mad at me if I were to give her flowers from someone else's shop?" Shikamaru asked anxiously. "Valentine's Day is coming up, I don't know what to do, I'm scared out of my wits, hell, I gotta pee…"

"It's February?" Sasuke exclaimed incredulously. "_Really?_"

"Yeah…" Shikamaru answered hesitantly.

Sasuke pressed his fingers to his temples, muttering swears under his breath.

"What? What's wrong?" Shikamaru looked at him curiously.

"…It's nothing. Forget about it. Oh, and I would highly recommend pink. You want her to feel feminine, don't you?" Sasuke nudged him lightheartedly. "Alright, 2,000 yen for a bouquet."

"Tch." Shikamaru's eyebrows twitched slightly. "What a pain." He took out his wallet and handed him the money (a little unwillingly).

"Have fun!" Sasuke waved cheerily.

As soon as Shikamaru left, another customer walked into Sasuke's flower shop.

"U-u-umm…h-hi, Sas-sasuke-kun…"

"Hello, Hinata-chan. Could you please wait one minute? I'll be back."

Before he waited for a stuttering reply, he went into the back of his store and dialed a number on his phone.

"Hey, old man! It's me, Sasuke. I was wondering if Ryuu could come over this weekend, you know-"

Sasuke's face suddenly became pallid. "H-he did. I didn't know…th-that's so sudden."

Sasuke slid onto the floor and pressed the receiver close to his sweating face. "H-how did he die?"

There was a click, and then a long buzz. "Hello?" Sasuke whispered. Then he yelled. "Hello?!"

"S-Sasuke-kun?" Hinata's worried voice floated into the backroom.

"Oh, sorry, Hinata-chan!" Sasuke tried to brighten up. "What would you like?"

"U-umm…o-oran-orange f-flowers…"

"Sorry, Hinata-chan. Naruto isn't ready for another lover yet." Sasuke smiled apologetically. "Not yet."

"Oh. A-alright." A pink flush crept up to Tenten's cheeks, and she bolted out the door.

Sasuke was silent for a moment. He stared at the patterns on the marble countertop - swirling, twisting, entangling the colors of the earth.

And, as he closed his eyes, his odyssey was far from this little shop. In his mind, he trekked across infinite rolling waves of green splendor.

In his mind, he ran across that sunlit field with the boy, his boy.

* * *

Sometimes, you can will yourself to see something else than what's before your eyes. Like the amount of money you _don't _save on car insurance or your daughter's cell phone bill. Or maybe when you skinned a knee riding a bike without protective gear and winced at the sight of blood pooling in the wound. 

Right now, Sasuke willed himself to not see the bullet holes in the glass windows and the upturned flower carts. He willed himself not to see the rusty blood stains splashed against the side of the flower shop.

"It happened only a few days ago." Ryuu's father was speaking. Sasuke tried to block that out, too, but it didn't work. "Ry-Ryuu never told me he was being bullied. He would never tell me any of his problems, the dear boy." The man choked back a sob.

A thought crossed Sasuke's mind, and he clenched his teeth. "It wasn't his fault. Don't blame him," Sasuke said quietly.

"Oh, it wasn't his fault, it wasn't his fault. Who can I blame? Those who bullied him have been executed, I cannot blame then any longer. Oh, it's horrible, horrible!!"

"It's your fault."

"W-what?" Shock was clearly written across the man's tear-stained face.

"IT'S YOUR FAULT!! YOU DIDN'T ASK HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON!! YOU ASSUMED EVERYTHING WAS FINE!!DIDN'T YOU SEE ANYTHING BEHIND HIS SMILE?!? DIDN'T YOU THINK HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN CRYING ON THE INSIDE?!?"

An explosion of raw emotion was released in the words he could never bear to utter. _The boy is dead, the boy is dead…_

Sasuke could not hear himself screaming any longer.

And then, in a single snap of the fingers, you could say that everything was gone. All the resentment, hatred, anger, sadness…and happiness.

Sasuke sat on the dirt road, his eyes blank and empty. What more could he be than a drained glass? Half-full-or-half-empty was out of question. His life was surely spiraling downwards.

So

he

sank

to

the

depths

of

the

ocean

and

his

odyssey

was over.

* * *

Naruto visited the slide more than ever. Sometimes he would stare into space. Once Sakura caught him moodily picking at a clump of clovers. Either way, one thing was for certain. 

Something was wrong.

"Naruto-kun?"

Naruto didn't turn around. "Hi, Sakura." He fixed his eyes on that one cloud that curiously resembled a bowl of ramen.

"Naruto, do you want to come home with me? I want to hear you play piano."

"Your parents don't like me."

"They aren't home today. C'mon, Naruto. Just for a little bit."

Naruto sighed. "Alright." He slid down and glanced at her grocery bags. "You need me to carry those for you?"

"I'm fine. I don't need someone to do everything for me all the time. Guess what? I'm starting to get more involved." Sakura punched the air with her fists. "I'm buying more groceries by myself, but it's kind of hard to differentiate fresh vegetables and meat from the bad ones. I'm also cooking too! I actually got Sasuke to taste my food, but…he looked a little green afterwards."

"Mmm-hmm," Naruto said absentmindedly.

"Hey! Are you listening?" Sakura demanded.

"Sorry. Umm...you look nice today," he observed.

Sakura blushed. "D-do you only have room for compliments? Will you listen to me without trying to be a suck-up?"

Naruto smiled a little. "You _are_ becoming stronger."

Sakura laughed nervously. The rest of the walk home was most uncomfortably silent.

* * *

"So…Naruto, I heard that you were dating Tenten," Sakura said casually, placing two cans of tuna in her pantry. 

"What?" His head shot in her direction, but then he relaxed. "Oh…not anymore. She basically said, 'Out of the way, Naruto, and make room for my new boyfriend!' Haha. What a load of crap."

Sakura looked half-relieved. "Well, I'm glad she's gone then."

Naruto grunted. "Where is your piano?" he asked.

Sakura grinned. "Follow me," she said, and led him over to a room bathed entirely in buttery sunlight. An immense grand piano reflected the abundant light on its glossy black surface. Naruto whistled.

"Wow." He sat on the piano bench and looked at the piece in front of him. The notes printed on the paper looked remarkably familiar.

"Valse." Naruto's voice faltered. "By Chopin."

"I heard you play it," Sakura said gently. "I'd like to hear it again. You don't mind, do you?"

"No. I'm fine." Naruto set his trembling fingers on the keys and began to play Tenten's favorite song. As he proceeded further into the piece, his fingers slipped and intertwined with each other clumsily. Mistake after mistake after mistake…

Naruto finally stopped and banged the piano with his fists, sounding a discord of jumbled notes.

"T-tenten…" A sudden sharp intake of breath followed.

Sakura gently placed her hand on Naruto's shuddering back. "Look at me, Naruto."

He turned his head away in shame. The haunting melody rung in his ears as Sakura's hands reached out slowly, slowly, towards Naruto's tear-stained face…

…and she kissed him.

* * *

"Hello, Tenten." Naruto smiled good-naturedly. "Can I come in?" 

Tenten's face drained of color. "Naruto?"

"Hi. I just wanted to see…how things were going."

"Oh. Everything's fine. Well, I'm a bit busy now, so…" Tenten's voice trailed off and she began to close her door.

"Wait!" Naruto held the door firmly in place. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

"Tenten, is something wrong?" An indistinct voice came from inside the house. Neji's watchful eyes peered at Naruto from inside. "Oh. It's you." Neji walked out and slipped his hands around Tenten's waist. "Would you like to come in? I wanna have a word with you."

Naruto felt his heart drop as Neji brushed his lips against Tenten's. "Umm…right," he mumbled.

Neji whispered in Tenten's ear, and Tenten shook her head vigorously. Neji's eyes flashed with anger. Naruto noticed that his hands curled around Tenten's slender wrists and refused to unclench until Tenten nodded her head quickly and bounded off.

"This way, Naruto," Neji motioned to the kitchen. He poured two steaming cups of green tea. Naruto paid no heed to this friendly gesture and stared at Neji.

"Why don't you drink your tea?" Neji folded his arms and nudged the cup towards him.

"I'd rather not," Naruto said icily.

"Why not? You think I'd poison you?" Neji chuckled. "There's no room for betrayal here. Let's talk this out. Tenten is _mine_. And you have…no one."

"I do," corrected Naruto. "Haruno Sakura."

"Ahh," Neji nodded approvingly. "That settles it. Now you have no right to come to Tenten's house any longer."

"I-I can't do _what?_" Naruto blubbered.

"That's right." Neji smiled widely, his pearl-white teeth gleaming ominously. "Now how could I trust a man like you to even come close to her?"

"I think that _you_ have no right to control what Tenten does or where she goes." Naruto wrapped his fists around the teacup. Dumping the scorching liquid over his head would be a very good idea. A very good idea indeed.

"Naruto, that's enough." Tenten stood quietly at the doorway. "Neji, please leave."

Neji shot an I-don't-trust-you look at her and stalked into the front yard, slamming the door melodramatically behind him.

Tenten sighed heavily. "Now, Naruto, what did you want to talk about?"

"Oh, yeah. Sakura and I are hosting a party at her house…you know, for Valentine's Day. Couples only. So I was wondering if you and Neji wanted to come…but…"

"Oh, no! We would really love to come!" Tenten interrupted hastily.

"You know, you can't let him control you like this," Naruto said softly. "It's not right."

"It was my decision," Tenten replied. She plastered a smile on her face. "We'll go to the party."

* * *

Naruto rung the doorbell. No one answered. He looked up at the simple slab of wood with "Uchiha Estate" painted on it in fine calligraphy. He had come to the right place; Sasuke was always home from his shop after six o' clock. 

"Damn, he's going to kill me for this," Naruto mumbled to himself and stepped inside. Paint cans were littered on the ground. His eyes widened. _How long ago did we come here to paint? Two months ago?_

"Sasuke?" he called anxiously. He quickened his pace and swept past the labyrinth of dark rooms. "Sasuke?!"

His heart palpating wildly, Naruto paused at the last room down a narrow corridor. Only had he noticed another presence when a shadow skittered across the dimly-lit room.

Sasuke sat in the middle of the room, shirtless and barely alive.

"Sasuke?" Naruto said timidly. He edged up to him and stared at his shut eyelids.

"What?" Sasuke finally opened his eyes.

"W-we have to get you out of here…" Naruto looked at his hollow cheeks and protruding ribs in horror.

Naruto begged and pleaded, but Sasuke would only shake his head and reply, _nope, nope, I'm not leaving, he's my boy…_

"You're mad, Sasuke." He seized his wrist and tried to haul him out the door but only hesitated when Sasuke winced in pain.

"I'm staying, I can't leave. Ryuu needs me…" Sasuke protested weakly.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Ryuu." Sasuke pointed to a lump in front of him that Naruto hadn't noticed before.

As Naruto peered closer at the lump, his stomach lurched. He turned away quickly.

"W-what's the meaning of this, Sasuke?" Naruto was ready to heave. "What are you doing with a dead body?"

"He's my boy. He was buried in a town that offered him _nothing_. I dug him out. He belongs with me. No one can take him from me now. No one can take away my last brother." Sasuke placed his bony arms protectively around the crumpled figure.

"Your brother? But your last brother is-" A sudden look of realization spread across his face. "Who is this?"

"Ryuu. My Ryuu."

Naruto gasped silently. This was Ryuu, the boy that Sasuke would never shut up about, the boy that had "saved" him in inexplicable ways, the boy who he had fondly called "his brother"…

"W-what happened to him?"

"Murdered. Shot by two older kids." Sasuke said this emotionlessly. "Suffered five of 'em. Ryuu was always a strong boy, the s-s-strongest to withstand so many b-bullets…" Sasuke's face crumpled up.

_He really did have one last family member,_ Naruto thought sorrowfully as Sasuke suppressed a sob, clutching at his hair with what was left of his depleted strength. _He had one and then fate decided to ruin it for him._

"Sasuke?" Naruto kneeled down next to him and cocked his head slightly. "You didn't lose your last brother. Didn't I promise to be your last family member? Someone who'd keep you from doing stupid stuff and letting you get hurt. Guess I failed _miserably_ at that job." He scoffed at himself. "What a baka, eh?"

Sasuke was not smiling, nor was he weeping.

"Look." Naruto pointed to the expanse of wall above him. Paint blotches still remained after their night of ridiculous amusement, which now seemed far, far away. "I suppose you've never seen this, but I painted something on this enormous wall." he grunted. He helped Sasuke up and pointed to what appeared to be an orange blemish on the splattered wall. "Thought it was something special," he grunted.

Sasuke strained his eyes to discern the mark in the faint light. The "mark" was a simple drawing of two stick figures. The two were sitting on a single chair (at least Sasuke assumed it was a chair). Sloppy writing over the picture read "WE'RE INSEPARABLE" and was underlined multiple times.

Sasuke almost smiled. "You made me look fat," he observed.

"Well, I'm not Picasso. My job isn't to _indulge_ you." Naruto said indignantly.

This time Sasuke doubled over with laughter. "Alright, Picasso. Let's go paint a picture somewhere else." He headed for the door. "Man, I'm hungry. I haven't eaten for weeks. Wanna grab a bite at Ichiraku's?"

"Really?" A grin lit up Naruto's face and he jumped up automatically. But then his enthusiasm faded. "What about…you know…"

"We'll find a proper burial soon." Sasuke tenderly stroked the boy's hair. "I already bathed and clothed him. You remember these clothes? I wore them when we were little 12-year olds, thinking we were big and bad and ready to take on the world. Now, he'll have a chance to fend for himself in the afterlife or whatever's waiting for him. He's smart, I'm sure he'll be fine."

And somewhere up there, in that "wherever" place hid from mortal eyes, Ryuu was watching, silently, carefully.

And somewhere up there, he summoned a wide, toothless grin.

* * *

The sheeting rain slaked the earth's thirst after twenty consecutive days of blistering sunshine. The outpour was greeted by many eager faces pressed against their windows, waiting for the sun to emerge and cast its dominant light over the world that would glitter, glitter like one thousand shards of glass. 

Today, Naruto decided that he would dissipate with the rain.

It was so unimaginably simple. As soon as Neko-chan curled into her bed, Naruto would walk all the way to his slide. He would lay there without uttering a word. And as soon as the last drop of rain fell to the ground, Naruto would be no longer.

No, Naruto was not at the end of his rope. Everything was on his mind lately…especially Tenten. The millions of thoughts that pounded against his head were enough to lead him down the dark, bottomless hole of depression. _Why did you leave me? You said you loved me, what a lie…stupid, stupid lovestruck Tenten…_

But he stopped fuming when a flicker of movement in the playground caught him by surprise. An arm dangled lifelessly from the slide. He knew that arm.

"Tenten?" his voice echoed panic and alarm as he rushed to her side.

Tenten's eyes were shut tight, and a small tinkle of music floated from Tenten's headphones. For a second he feared the worst. But as he pressed his hands against Tenten's heart, the worried crease around his eyes slackened, and he breathed a sigh of relief. "Tenten-chan…c'mon, wake up…" After that came a brief moment of silence.

A muscle in Tenten's jaw twitched. "I was waiting for you to kiss me," she finally said.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I'm not your boyfriend anymore, okay? Now get up before you catch a cold."

"You mean 'get up so I can go and make _myself _sick,'" she retorted. "I know you. You wouldn't come here unless you have a problem and want to stay overnight. And you know what? I happen to like it here, thank you very much."

Naruto shrugged, as if to say, _it's your call. _He slipped off his jacket – the one that Sakura bought for him for the Valentine's Day party – and deposited it on Tenten. Tenten chucked it away. Naruto went over to pick the jacket up and wrapped her around it. Tenten shook it off again.

Naruto shook his head reprovingly. "If you're going to act like a little kid, I'll be the parent. I demand you to get your butt _off_ the slide and _onto_ your bed."

Tenten giggled a little. "Do you remember when I did this to you? That was funny." She stroked his face lovingly.

"Don't touch me!" Naruto instinctively slapped her arms away and let out a low growl. His obvious lust for Tenten was unmistakable in his eyes. Tenten whimpered slightly as this dangerous creature came within an inch of her face, her nose, her tantalizing lips. Then his passion faded. "What do you want from me?" he sighed.

"I'm sorry about Neji." She slid down to join him. "You know when you love someone for so long, and suddenly they accept your feelings? It was like you wanted to push everything away and make room for that person."

Naruto laughed sourly. "Well, that's what you did to me."

Tenten cringed. "Sorry." She averted her eyes. "But I realized that he wasn't as kind or as cheerful…as someone else. He wouldn't buy me a shirt with blue lace if he was nearly in debt or run to my house after his afternoon job at Ichiban just to say that he loved me."

"Wait – Tenten, please…" said Naruto bleakly as Tenten began to cry. He gathered her up and rocked her back and forth, cooing softly to her as if she were a baby. Except Tenten was clutching Naruto's neck for dear life and Naruto was swaying slightly under her weight.

Somewhere under those heavy, pitiful sobs, Tenten began to laugh.

"D-did you d-d-ditch Sakura's Valentine's Day p-party?" she hiccupped.

"Sort of," Naruto admitted. He let her feet touch the floor and slipped his hands around her waist. "C'mon, let's have a party of our own." Naruto flashed a silly grin at her and bowed. "Tenten, could I have the honor-"

"Oh, do shut up." Tenten rested her arms on his broad shoulders and suppressed a giggle.

With Tenten's hair plastered to her face and rain soaking through her shirt, Naruto came to the conclusion that he never saw anything more beautiful.

Behind them, a titter rose up from the bushes. Naruto glanced at the shrubs quickly, turned back to face Tenten, and then did a double take.

"Sakura?!" Naruto stared at his girlfriend's partly concealed face in horror.

Wait. Was Sakura _laughing_?

At this particular moment, a crowd of people swarmed over. It took a while for Naruto to realize they were cheering – every single one of them. Shikamaru, Ino, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Rock Lee, the list went on and on…

Hinata shyly walked over to the stunned pair and said, "This is for you two." She opened up her clasped hands and there, cradled in her palms, was an orange flower.

Naruto hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Hinata."

Hinata nodded and bounced back into the arms of Inuzuka Kiba.

"Wait a second. Y-you two…" Naruto pointed at the couple feebly. "Oh my _gawd._" He paused only when Tenten trodded on his feet (somewhat violently).

"We were looking for you," Sakura piped up. "When you didn't come, everyone pitched in to help find you."

"Really?" said Naruto ruefully. "Man, sorry about that."

"You ruined the surprise, though!" one voice called from the middle of the crowd. "We were going to get you and Tenten back together, but it looks like our job is done."

More laughter.

"Even Neji? He wanted this too?"

* * *

Back in Sakura's house, hidden under a heap of pillows, lay an infuriated Neji, cursing himself and that goddamn Naruto, gonna kick the living shit out of him…

* * *

Naruto grimaced. Neji was definitely going to get him for this. 

Someone in the crowd whooped. "Aww, forget about Neji!" This comment was met with a murmur of agreement. Shikamaru wrapped his arms around Ino's waist and began to dance. Everyone smirked and followed suit.

As the rain streaked down innumerable gowns and suits, Sasuke watched smugly from the sidelines. Then he caught a glimpse of Sakura, who chattered excitedly in the heart of the crowd.

_My turn._ He tapped Sakura on the shoulder, a rose concealed behind his back. "Wanna dance?"


End file.
